More than 80 Rockridge residents crowded into the Rockridge Library meeting room on September 27 to hear about soundwalls and the process that might lead to their construction in the Rockridge area.

Organized by the city of Oakland, the meeting presented a wealth of technical information on sound wall functionality, the sound wall study process, landscaping considerations and the preliminary technical report evaluating noise levels in Rockridge.

The next chapter in the process of determining the future of soundwalls at three State Route (SR) 24 locations in Rockridge and Temescal will unfold starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, September 27, at the Rockridge Branch Library.

During 2010 and 2011, the city of Oakland developed a ranked list of projects funded with the $8 million Caltrans paid Oakland in a settlement reached over the adequacy of environmental reports which studied effects on the neighborhood of the Caldecott Tunnel's fourth bore construction.

During 2010 and 2011, the city of Oakland developed, through public meetings, a ranked list of projects to fund with the $8 million Caltrans paid Oakland in a settlement reached over the adequacy of environmental reports which studied effects on the neighborhood of the Caldecott Tunnel's fourth bore construction.

The possibility of the construction of soundwalls along Highway 24 through parts of the Rockridge-Temescal area has raised many questions. This fourth article on soundwalls (following up on those in the May, June and July 2011 issues of The Rockridge News) will consider the nuts-and bolts of soundwalls, some "urban legends" surrounding them, and the processes by which they are or are not constructed.

City staff and consultants joined City Council member Jane Brunner in a public meeting to discuss the first six projects included in Oakland's settlement agreement with Caltrans over the Caldecott Improvement Project, or Fourth Bore.

The goal of the meeting, held March 26 at Kaiser Elementary School, was for participants to tell the city their thoughts on these designs, before the city moves forward to the final pre-construction stage.

Noise is one of the most pervasive pollutants in our environment, and, in Rockridge as in many communities, much of it originates from surface transportation: cars, trucks, trains, and motorcycles. This noise can be difficult or expensive to block in older homes, and nearly impossible to block in yards outside the homes.

Since the 1970s, the transportation system comprised of Highway 24 and BART that bisects Rockridge has been both a boon and a bane to the neighborhood: It's convenient for getting around but often a negative in terms of both air pollution and noise pollution.

The final list of projects to be funded through the city of Oakland's $8 million Settlement Agreement with Caltrans over the Caldecott Tunnel Fourth Bore EIR was released March 23. These projects are intended to ameliorate the impacts to the North Oakland Hills, Rockridge and Temescal districts of adding the fourth bore to the Caldecott Tunnel.